Continuous wire and strip electroprocessing machine



Nov'. 30, 194s,

C. G. MILLER o'oNTINUoUs WI'RE AND STRIP ELEcTRoPRocEssING MACHINE FiledJune 27, 1945 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 vic... 52er@ N Iwmd it: JSMSlJfffrff//f f /f r .1 r f In; C J l I I II I I I II I III IIIII I II I 0I NI II II IIHN IIIllI II l III III I IL III Il I I I II..I I IIII nIIIII I II I I I I TI III l IIII I I II V I IIIIII@.IIIII/vm IConstantine G. Miller Nov. 30, i948. l c. G. MILLER 2,454,935

CONTINUOUS WIRE AND STRIP ELECTROPROCESSING MACHINE Filed June 27, 19453 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnvcnhr Constantzne G. P71 22er Attorneus CONTINUOUSWIRE AND-STRIP ELECTROPROQESSING MACHINE I.

Filed June 27, 1945 c. G# Mil- LER Nov. 30, 1948.

` 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 K Mtornega Patented Nov. 30, 1948 UNITED STATESPATENT CONTINUOUS WIRE AND STRIP ELECTRO- PROCESSING MACHINE ConstantineG. Miller, Chicago, Ill.,assignor to lThe Meaker Company, Chicago, Ill.,a corporation of Illinois Application June 27, 1945, Serial No. 601,837

1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to apparatus and particularly toimproved methods for electroprocessing of metal. The more importantaspect of the invention involves electro-chemically cleaning andelectro-plating continuously moving articles and material such as wire.This application is a continuation in part of my co-pending applicationSerial No. 245,169, now Patent No. 2,431,065, led December 12, 1938.

The apparatus and method of this invention are specically adapted forelectro-plating round or ilat Wire, strip steel, metal ribbons, cables,tubing and the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved electro-platingmethod or process which will rapidly and completely Iclean wire or metalstrip material and apply a uniform adherent metal coating thereto whilethe wire is moved through a suitable machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improvedelectro-processing method for treating multiple strands of wire orstrips wherein electric current is conducted to the strands by means ofcontact nger members which are selfadjusting and self-protecting.

A further object is to provide an improved electro-processing techniqueor method in which the distance between the cathode wire or Wires beingtreated and the anode or anodes is maintained substantially constantnotwithstanding the wearing down or disintegration of the anode broughtabout by the electrolytic action. Another object is to provide animproved method for electro-processing wire, metal strip, metal ribbonsor cables in which the electrical energy required to carry on theelectrolytic action remains substantially the same throughout the entireoperation.

A still further object is to provide apparatus of this nature and moreparticularly an improved method of operating such apparatus in which anelectrical contact member is caused to insure electrical contact withthe moving wire or' strip being treated at all times regardless of thesmoothness or imperfections of the surface of the strip.

The above objects are carried out in brief by providing apparatus whichlends itself to the improved methods of electroprocessing and in whichthe cathode wire being treated lis caused to be moved closer to theanodes as the latter wear down by the electrolytic action to therebyretain a given distance between the cathode or cathodes and anode oranodes and the same effective internal resistance of the electrolyticbath.

In order that the conductors which supply electric power to the cathodewire or wires will continue to make contact with these wires when thelatter are shifted nearer the anode from time to time, a special frameis provided which insures firm contact between the `conductor and thewire or wires and this frame is mounted on a main frame which supportsthe cathode Wire or wires so that as the latter is moved toward theanode the power carrying conductor or conductors are moved in likemanner.

The invention will be better understood when reference is made to thedrawings in which:

Figure l represents a general View of the cooling, circulating, andfiltering system for maintaining the electro-galvanizing solution inproper working condition;

Figure 2 is a verticalsectional view transverse of the galvanizing tankwith certain parts broken away, showing the adjustable contact fingerframes and the mechanism by which the cathode wire or Wires in additionto these frames can be lowered in order to make up for the wear at theanodes; y ,y

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View` taken along line 3-3 in Figure 2,and showing the particular construction of the adjustable contactfingers;A

Figure 4 is a detail view of the adjustable linger frame `taken on theline 4-4 in Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a `detail view of the adjustable frame construction taken onthe line 5-5 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 6 is a detail vertical sectional view taken along line 6`B inFigure l, looking into the end of the galvanizing tank and showing thearrangement of the electrolyte return conduit means. y

Referring tothe drawings in detail, the numeral l designates'rthepay-off and take-in reels or swifts employed for feeding the wires 2 aswork pieces through the apparatus. These wires are passed under theguide or ducking sheaves 3 through an electrolytic solution contained inan electro-galvanizing tank 4. The wires constitute the cathode and areto be electroplated.r Thereaftenthey are run out oiA the galvanizingtank under the right-hand set of sheaves 3 and subjected to aspray rinse(not shown). y

The'electro-galvanizing solution asl, used inthe galvanizing tank 4 isconstantly removed from the tank, cooled or'otherwise treated toreplenish the metal, and returnedto the galvanizing tank, as illustratedin Figure l. In thisarrangementQthe circulating pumps 5 have theirpressure pipes ii positioned at the forward `end of the electroplatingtank so as to move the electrolyte through the tank and discharge itthrough the pipes 'i into the cooling tower 8. From the cooling tower,the electrolyte ows by gravity through the pipe or conduit f8 .fintoithecircplatingftariks Hl which are interconnected by the vpipes H. A

Provision is made for storing a certain amount of thev electrolyte inone of the circulating tanks l2. Entrance and exit of electrolyte fromthe tanks is Valve controlled throlL-tf fipsI i4 so that the electrolytemay be permitted tb 'flow directly into the circulatingtanksand/orreceptacle l2 as required.k Eend4v t4,ijioigiHM common exit from thetanks of the electrolyte through the pipe i5 which forms L return inletmeans for admitting electrolyte to tlialetro plating tank 4. The inletpipe i5 is positioned .at the opposite end of theggank from which theelecmeans of the pump Il and Aijlte' minded .for .hy 18 cli;l

lieve .#138529 iene? teeaek .and Vconstant movement over the electrodes'kept 'n and-theevires. a

iiiatteaeecilrial Current metete# eeli .f ...af "....tel el@ e@ i@ @fromthe eresie; tonen f @een it will ne cesena-tte@ s.; man. ufr

the electrical contact finger members 22 are mounted on the shaft 2S ofthe carrier frame generally designated 21. This carrier comprises theContact finger shaft 2S and glass rod 28 which are positioned transverseof the tank and are retained in the iianged and supporting member 29.

.gehe glassgod' positions `the wires .2 .with respect tf the iingers 22so that proper contact can be'made with the wires by the ngers.

The entire unit is vertically adjustable in the bracketsf by means ofthe threaded rod mem- 'llhlattextend through apertures in the'overhanging bracket portion 32, and are secured thereto by the nuts 33threaded onto the `ends ,-ofltherods as yshown in Figure 2. By adnArGilded'wl'flfa slot li for accommoclating` the venten mnyementbf themember. zsiandiriteg'rai iiange' portion 39, as l'shown in Figuresl Eand5. angle iron supportsll are suitably anchored to thJinrie' Walls ofthegalvanizing 'tank'. as shown in Eig. 2. `v The metal .parts are rubbercov-` ieed'or `othe'i'fipvi-se `iiisulated against contact with theelectrolyte'f 'Screw locked membersv- 4.1 are provided adjacent the endsof th glass lrod 2t.

The l.purpose of this adjustaloilityv of the contact .ng'er frame 2.'l`is to' maintain .a constant dista'r'ice`l'0i'21'`ille'n the Vwireorwires being glvan 'v' nd the ,surface of .the anode or anodes 2 3 which"are'fpositioned below the wire. As 'the anodes wear away",k that is, ldecrease' in thickness.

u this frame can be lowered so' that thewirad Contact finger .canbecorrespondingly lowered. Inftl'smannerga uniform distancecanbernainftained latfall times htvieenV the ywires and the eed "'JIhS.Salvrs Dw and keeps 'theresi'si form. this connection: it will' he"appreciated tha'mansminay he' provided' for adjusting .the p'sitioiiing" o'fthe'fanode relative to 'tliewi're or wirto'.achieve"the'saine effect. All that is nec'- esslary is .to havev thecontactl fingers',A wires and anodes'initually adjustable so thattheirrelative positions 'may be varied to Vprovide a predeterfnuneddistancegbetween theanodes and the wire. s a practical matter, itisbetter to move the contact nersfandwires rather ,than the anodes onaccountfc'f `the fact that 'the anodes are guite heavyand cumbersomeyand unyieldy structure might have' to be' 'employed in case the .anodeswere .a ted with respect to the `ccnt'a` c`t .Yiingers and; u lrkpi'ecewires'. U

wlth'mac e is .iirst `started up or the anodes`J have'been"renewed,'a'ssumingthat the anodes Aare 'about 4two inches thick.Vand the 'wire paseesfrom onzelinclflA .to -11/4'inches above the an?odesjfit hasbeenpbserved that'in a .matter 'off only'afew days theanodes dissolve from- .the top and `thereby reduce their. thickness.Therefore; more resistance isset vup land higher. Voltage must housedton'aintain 4the'salire" current -density. .fort wineaiic'ofwdelosit,whichresults inlm'ore fcevffedper ln il metal @1555- an eigample; ffthewire is .an average of ch awayatthestart and ifth anodes wear to'halftthe thickness, .thenthewire Will be i .t wel@ ait-45935 require morevoltage to force the current through fandg'reaterexpenditure of power todeposit the required quantity of metal. However, by the use of theadjustable cathode nger and frame, as each row of cathode fingers areadjusted separately, these can be lowered gradually from day to day vandthe voltage remains the same and therefore the expenditure of powerremains constant regardless of the size or thickness of the anodes.

Another advantage of being able to move the cathode and anodes withrespect to one another and particularly in lowering the cathode indirect relation to the wear-down or disintegration of the anode is thatthe electrolytic action can be carried to a point where the anodesreduce to a mere sliver before they must be removed, thereby saving theexpense of recasting large quantities of suitable anodes. A stillfurther advantage is that in removing anodes, the small anode stubs canbe piled on top of one another or on top of the new anodes and as manysections of cathode gures can be adjusted as desired just so they willmaintain an equal distance relation between the cathode and the pile ofsmall stubs throughout the tank.

The adjustability of the cathode wire or wires with respect to the anodeor anodes also offers considerable advantage from the standpoint of costproduction per ton of wire to be galvanized because the power consumedis maintained strictly constant notwithstanding the continual wearingaway of the anode. Thus, the mill knows exactly what the powerconsumption will be per ton of wire for a given Weight coating after arst trial run because this consumption will not change from day to dayor from week to week.

Electrical Contact finger construction The improved construction of theelectrical contact fingers 22 is shown in Figure 3. This membercomprises a weight pressed finger or stem 42. The contact member may bemade of brass or copper alloy or other suitable electrical conductingmaterial having the required strength and hardness. The nger member isrotatably mounted on the shaft 26 which is vertically adjustable in theframe 27. Integral with or attached to the contact linger 22 is an arm43 carrying a slideable weight 44. This weight may be positioned on thearm by means of a set screw 45 as shown in Figure 3.

Positioned around the finger member 42 there is a loosely fittedporcelain insulator covering 46. The covering is provided with a slot 41which receives a cotter pin 46 driven tightly through the contact finger42. Inasmuch asthe opening 41 is much larger than the shank of thecotter pin, the porcelain cover 46 is permitted to slide over thefinger. At the lower end of the cover 46 there are overhanging earportions 49 between which the wire or strip being processed or treatedpasses. An opening 50 in the bottom of the porcelain covering allows theend portion I of the contact finger member to protrude and contact thewire or strip 2. The end of the finger portion 5l may be grooved orshaped to t the surface of the strip or wire being contacted.

The upper part of the finger l2-.terminates in an enlarged portion 52which is provided with a rectangularly shaped socket opening forreceiving the member 53. The latter forms a bell crank with the member43 and is adapted to rotateabout the shaft 26. It will be understoodthat the ringer 42 and the member 53 may be integral, if desired. Themembers 52 and 53 are bolted or secured together by means of a bolt 54to which is also secured the electrical terminal 55. A flexibleelectrical conductor 56 connects the terminal 55 with the other terminal57 which is in turn secured to the bus bar 58. The electricalconnections are made in this manner to the negative side of the electriccurrent generator (not shown) so as to make the wire the cathode in theelectro-plating solution. The lower end of the finger or stem 42 isaccurately grooved to snugly receive the wire cathode.

` When the wire or strip 2 is not passing through the jaws of theinsulated member 46, the latter drops" down and protects the end of thecontact finger portion 5l from acquiring a layer of deposited metal.This avoids interference with the electrode function of the contact ngerwhen a wire or strip is passing through the electroplating solution.When the contact finger is in place and is riding on the wire, thelatter holds up the porcelain cover 46 and allows the brass or contactfinger portion 5I to ride directly on the wire. In this position the tipof the contact finger may become coated with metal which is being platedon the wire, but as the splices and imperfections on the wire passalong, the porcelain cover is moved up and down knocking off the loosespongy metal and thus maintaining a clean electrical contact. There isthus provided a novel selfcleaning and self-protecting electricalcontact nger mechanism. It is apparent that the substantially stationarycontact nger and reciprocably movable porcelain cover structure is moreeffective in its cleansing and protecting functions than would be thecase if the covering were maintained stationary and the contact fingerwere permitted to move. Moreover, by always insuring an absolute andfirm contact between the nger 42 and the wire or strip 2 due to the urgeof the weighted member 44 sparking and other electrical complicationsare avoided at the contact between the finger and the wire workpiece.Itis, therefore, advantageous to assign the selfcleaning andself-protecting functions to the covering and not to the contact fingerbecause the covering can be readily permitted to move over the contactfinger without causing any disruption of contact between the finger andthe wire.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the exactdetails oi' construction and operation since obvious modifications maybe made in the disclosed method of galvanizing or in the apparatus forcarrying out that method without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe description.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

Apparatus for electroplating simultaneously a plurality of stripscomprising a tank containing electrolyzing solution, a plurality offixed soluble anodes in said solution, means for moving said stripsthrough the solution, and means for maintaining a relatively constantdistance between said strips and anodes, said last mentioned meanscomprising a frame including an upper and a lower rod extending inparallel relationship across said tank, said lower rod comprising asupporting member located beneath the strips and adapted to be locatedbeneath the surface of the electrolyzing solution andfsupporting saidstrips in parallel relationship,Y said frame having means for adjustingsaid lower rod and the strips supported thereon toward said anodes assaid anodes become smaller, a plurality of conducting ngers sliepen@thereon. e pair 0f mqllipted. screws y ,andnuts mounted lon Iseid frame,siiiscrews. extending iiiiQiigh seid breciiets :and i, sims ifeimirigRafts si seid fie-nie @iid-extend' sdowriwardli' 9910.111 poste sides oftrie aindlfconnectng ltogether rigid v:lisisiifiiisiifir Seid imper-'aiid ifiwfii rods ioi 'aid-insiemi' maintaining iii@ posiiiin Qi Sii,frsmefviiiciwiingss Q fisiwe rQQLaIid-suidss the opmsiie vertical.sides `Qi said tank ffii giiidrig rsai-cl pair of arms, said lower rodand said con-.-

between the lower Aends of said fingers andsaid lower rod.

CONSTANTINE G. l MILLER.

The efnl `awing; references are `of record v1x1-the lfile of thispatent:

a SIATES, ,BATENT Number Name VDate 667,498 Chapman Feb. 5, 1901:1,515,092 oWper=Co1es "Nov.l1 1, 1924 :1,803,691 Brockway May 5, `193111.0 1,953,484 Ireden Apr. 3,1934 11,991,817 Nachtman Feb. 19, y19352229,423 vSchueler et, al Jan. 21, 1941 2,312,452 Taylerson Ivfirqz,41943 2,338,795 Berqust Jan. 1**1, -1944 Drummond etal. June A12, 19,45FQREIQN PLTENTS

